.March 31st, 2009 Bali, Padang Bay, A really backward island similar to those of east Africa. At sail in, we could see a volcano north of the small island: Mount Batur; this describes the island as mountainous, therefore lost of climbing and switchbacks. We were tendered to the town pier as the tide was at its lowest: very slow disembarking, those with tour tickets first. We waited for an hour and a half with our tender tickets (not tour) and made it to shore at 10 with Ron, Jean and their friends Steve and Helen from Victoria, BC. As we were [View Full Entry]

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Went on a private tour to see the dragons Komodo Island March 30th, Komodo Island Well we paid the ships excursion fee (99$US ea) and walked 1 ½ hour in the tropical rain forest in sweltering heat (89 degree F) to see 4 fenced in well fed dragons that barely moved, they just lie there. That’s it folks! People said we could not be so close to these islands and not do the Komodo Dragon visit, so we did. Terry enjoyed the jungle; I could have looked at his pictures. That is all I have to say about that! The food [View Full Entry]

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A day at sea and Darwin, Australia March 26th, 2009 A typical day at sea: 8 we wake up on dolphin deck #1 9 we walk around deck 3- 3 ½ times around is 1 mile, Terry does 2 miles a day, I walk 3 ½ times around, then I climb the stairs up to the gym on deck 8 to finish my time on the exercise bike. Today, Terry walked 40 minutes because we participated in “On Deck for the Cure” 9:30 we meet for breakfast in the Lido, 8th floor 10 shower and get ready for lectures 11 Lecture: [View Full Entry]

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March 23-24h, 2009 Whitsunday Islands and Cairns Yesterday the weather was overcast, blustery and generally awful. We chose not to go on for a 2 hr catamaran ride for an hour and a half dive over the Great Barrier Reef(198.00$ US) pity, everybody was seasick and most were afraid to get in the water because it was so rough! Instead we tendered into Hamilton Island, I rode the free shuttle around the island, saw THE site and then joined Terry at a resort where we walked the dirty beach and again chose not to swim with the dangerous stinging jelly fish, [View Full Entry]

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19-20 overnight at the Opera saw the Magic Flute, my Christmas present from Terry What a treat March 19 & 20, Sydney, Australia; nice town We arrived a little late Thursday morning as we lost an engine out of 5 not as bad as the Celerity Millennium who lost most of her engines except for one and then cancelled her next cruise. Passengers that had flown from all over the world to join her were not to be placated easily; she sailed sans paying passengers to Sydney for repairs at the dry dock facility, we see her from our ship. The [View Full Entry]

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Cruising the Tasman sea to Australia Ship is comfortable, bigger than our Prinsendam of the World Cruise 2006 and the Baltic, summer of 2007 [View Full Entry]

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Happy Birthday Daniel, thinking of you Flew back to NZ from Brisbane Waiting to catch our second cruise Toured Auckland and the North beaches [View Full Entry]

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March 14th Brisbane We are leaving tomorrow last night at Blaice and Fletcher's school fete off to NZ for the good Ship Volendam [View Full Entry]

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March 14th 3rd entry for Brisbane let the photos speak to you [View Full Entry]

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March 11-12 see our trip on the Gold Coast, Seafood extravaganza and dinner at Tor and Trudy's lovely home all in the same day heaven greetings to all and send news of home please [View Full Entry]

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